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Tax Relief Center- Basics: Based in Westlake Village, Tax Relief Center helps individuals with their IRS and state tax debts through referring their cases to tax relief companies nationwide.
- Pros: The company does not employ aggressive marketing tactics to get you to sign up for their services and tax relief firms within its network do not appear to charge “investigation” fees or fees to prevent liens, garnishments, etc.
- Cons: The company is not forthcoming on its referral services, including the firms within its referral network and how it vets these firms. There is also a limited number of client reviews of the company’s referral services.
- MINIMUM DEBT:
$10,000
- LOCATION AVAILABILITY:
All 50 U.S. States
- INITIAL FEE:
None
- YEAR fOUNDED:
Unknown
Despite its name, Tax Relief Center is not a tax relief services provider. Instead, the company refers individuals with tax debt issues to “BBB A-rated tax relief companies nationwide” and provides educational tax content on its website.
Tax Relief Center’s aims sound noble, but how do Tax Relief Center’s referral services actually stack up? To find out, I did a deep dive into the company’s services and customer reviews. Below are some of my thoughts and research on the company.
- BBB Accredited: A+ Rating With 5/5 Rating
- Guarantee: 30-Day Moneyback Guarantee
- Reasonable Fees: Lower than Industry Averages
- CPAs and Former IRS Officers: Decades of Combined Experience
Table of Contents
How Does Tax Relief Center Work?
The company lays out a four-step process for resolving your tax debts:
As described above, Tax Relief Center connects individuals struggling with tax debts to tax resolution companies. That’s why I found it odd that the company virtually has no information on its referral services. What firms does Tax Relief Center partner with to handle clients’ tax debts? How does it vet them? Does the company stay involved during the whole tax resolution process, or only until it successfully refers clients?
To be sure, it is not uncommon for tax relief companies to outsource their tax resolution services to other tax practitioners. However, since Tax Relief Center bills itself as a referral service, I expected more information on this front so potential clients can make an informed decision on whether to sign up for its services.
In any event, the process involves a (1) review of your tax situation, (2) discussion of your options and various tax relief programs, (3) decision on what option to pursue, and (4) resolution of your debts.
Related: 5 Best Tax Relief Companies
Steps 1: and 2: Review Your Situation and Learn Your Options
To retain the company’s services, you must request a free consultation with an industry expert on its website or through the phone.
It is not entirely clear what the “industry expert” is in this case. Will your first contact be with a salesperson or an actual tax resolution expert? However, since Tax Relief Center is a referral service rather than a tax relief services provider, I assume the industry expert will be from the referred tax relief provider.
The company also provides the following information on this phase during the process for requesting a consultation online:
Based on the above, clients do not appear to be charged “investigative” fees or other fees for an evaluation of their options or assistance related to preventing a garnishment, lien or levy. This is a departure from many tax relief firms that do charge fees for these services.
Steps 3 and 4: Choose Your Option and Get Your Situation Resolved
After your free consultation, you will get to select the option you think is best for your case and work with a firm referred by Tax Relief Center.
Based on a review of the website, Tax Relief Center is not as aggressive as other tax relief firms in getting you to sign up for its services. For example, the company specifies that you can choose to resolve the case on your own or utilize a tax resolution specialist, a departure from other firms that may try to convince you to retain their services, even in cases where you can easily resolve your case yourself.
That said, the company does not provide much information on its referral services, including the firms within its referral network and how it vets firms that it refers clients to. By failing to make these disclosures, potential clients cannot really make an informed decision on whether to retain the company’s services.
How to Qualify for Tax Relief Center
If you want to retain Tax Relief Center’s services, you must first request a free consultation with an industry expert.
Based on the website, Tax Relief Center requires a minimum tax debt of $10,000 in order for the company to refer your case to a tax relief company within its network, which is generally in line with other competitors.
Other than this minimum threshold amount, the company does not appear to have any other specific requirements. Firms referred by Tax Relief Center may also have their own set requirements for working with them.
WATCH the video below to learn how to qualify for an offer in compromise to settle your IRS tax debt!
Tax Relief Center At a Glance
| Free Consultation | Yes |
| Services | Referral service for tax relief and compliance services |
| Fees | N/A* |
| Minimum Debt Required | $10,000 |
| Turn Around Time | Not disclosed |
| Refund Policy | N/A* |
| Dedicated Case Manager | N/A* |
| Speed of Service | N/A* |
| Location Availability | Undisclosed (Tax Relief Center presumably has connections with tax relief providers in all 50 U.S. states) |
* These items are not applicable because Tax Relief Center does not provide tax relief services.
Services Offered
Tax Relief Center refers individuals/businesses seeking help with their IRS/state tax debts to firms that provide tax relief services, including:
- Offer in compromise
- Installment agreement
- Wage garnishment/bank levy
- Tax audit services
- Currently not collectible status
Tax Relief Center also refers individuals/businesses to companies that can help them out with their tax compliance needs.
Tax Relief Center Cost
On its website, Tax Relief Center promises no upfront or retainer fees for a tax relief firm referred by the company to review your case or to prevent a lien, garnishment, etc.
I could not find any client review confirming whether this is true. However, if the company’s promises are true, this would differ from the pricing models for many other tax relief firms, which typically charge an “investigation fee” to evaluate your case and related fees to prevents liens, levies, and garnishments.
Other than this disclosure, there is virtually no other mention of pricing. Since Tax Relief Center is a referral service, I imagine the fees would depend on the tax relief firm and the complexity of your case.
How Much Could You Save with Tax Relief Center?
The amount you can save with Tax Relief Center depends on the complexity of your situation and the tax relief firm referred by the company to handle your case.
A few clients on the Tax Relief Center and BBB website claimed that the tax relief companies referred by Tax Relief Center were able to satisfactorily resolve their tax debts.
However, it was difficult to get any insight into the quality of these firms, given the limited number of client reviews in general and how vague these reviews were (as discussed further below).
Tax Relief Center Pros and Cons
Pros
Pros
- No aggressive sales pitches: The company does not use the aggressive sales pitches to get you to sign up for its services that many other tax relief services providers do.
- No investigation fee or other fees: Firms within Tax Relief Center’s referral network do not appear to charge for investigation fee or fees to prevent an IRS lien, levy, or garnishment. This is a refreshing departure from other firms operating in this space.
Cons
Cons
- No information on referral services: Tax Relief Center provides little information on how it vets tax relief firms it refers clients to, a glaring omission given that the company bills itself as a referral service.
- No information on pricing: Tax Relief Center does not disclose how much in fees clients are expected to pay to firms within the company’s referral network.
- Lack of client reviews: There is a limited number of client reviews on Tax Relief Center’s referral services.
Is Tax Relief Center Legit?
Guarantee Disclaimer
Tax Relief Center has no refund policy or money back guarantee. On its website, the company makes clear that it is not a tax relief services company and is not responsible for any damages or costs related to services by tax relief providers it refers to clients.
Tax Relief Center Complaints and Customer Reviews
As mentioned above, there were only a handful of client reviews on Tax Relief Center’s services.
Most if not all these reviews can be found on the company website or under the BBB reviews of Envoy Media Group, Inc., a marketing firm that appears to own and operate the company website (along with the websites of other debt relief companies).
Although all these reviews were positive, they were so vague that they provided little insight into the quality of firms referred by Tax Relief Center. For example, in one review, one client claimed that a representative from one of the firms referred by Tax Relief Center “effortlessly gave me the information I needed” and “put me on the right direction helping me save money and time.”
In this review, Jonathan did not elaborate on the information provided by the referred tax relief firm or how it helped him save money and time. Although he appeared satisfied with the tax relief services, his review (along with other reviews) does not shed much light into how Tax Relief Center vets these tax relief firms and whether these companies are skilled in handling tax relief matters.
Alternatives to Tax Relief Center
Below is a comparison of Tax Relief Center’s services with other established tax relief companies:
| Tax Relief Center | Choice Tax Relief (My Company) | Ideal Tax Solution | Jackson Hewitt Tax Resolution Services | |
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| Free Consultation |
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| Minimum Debt Required |
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| Refund Policy |
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| Dedicated Case Manager |
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| Tax Relief Phone Number |
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Is Tax Relief Center Worth It?
In my opinion, Tax Relief Center is not worth the money.
The company seems to have good intentions and does not employ the aggressive sales pitches that a lot of firms in this space do. Additionally, firms within Tax Relief Center’s referral network do not appear to charge clients investigation fees or fees related to preventing an IRS lien, levy, garnishment, etc. This is a refreshing departure from many other tax relief firms..
That said, it was difficult to get a sense of the quality of the firms within Tax Relief Center’s referral network and how much in fees clients can expect to pay.
The Best Tax Relief Companies
Want to see our list of the best tax relief companies for various situations? Click the button below!
Part of this was due to the lack of client reviews online, which is helpful for making this determination. To be fair, a limited number of reviews does not necessarily mean that Tax Relief Center is not delivering quality referral services. However, in the absence of reviews, the company should provide more information on how it vets firms which it refers clients to, pricing, and which firms are actually within its referral network. Since Tax Relief Center does not disclose information on any of these fronts, potential clients cannot really make an informed decision of whether to sign up for Tax Relief Center’s services.
Who Tax Relief Center Is Best For
Tax Relief Center is best for people who have a relatively simple tax debt case. As mentioned above, tax relief firms within the company’s network do not appear to charge investigation fees or other fees, which can potentially make the overall fee amount affordable for clients with simple cases.
Who Tax Relief Center Is Not For
Tax Relief Center is not for clients who want to make an informed decision on whether to sign up for tax relief services. Tax Relief Center provides virtually no information on how it vets the firms it refers clients to, the names of these firms, and the average fees clients are expected to pay to these firms.
Final Thoughts
Ultimately, it is difficult to get a sense of the quality of the firms within Tax Relief Center’s referral network, given the lack of client reviews and disclosure by the company of its services. As a result, potential clients are unable to make an informed decision of whether Tax Relief Center’s referral services will actually help them resolve their case.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Are tax relief programs real?
- How can I get relief from tax debt?
- Is there really the IRS Fresh Start Program?
- Can you negotiate with the IRS without a lawyer?
Author:
Steve Ching, J.D., covers tax topics for Money Done Right. He is a practicing tax attorney and also has several years of experience at national accounting firms. Steve is passionate about writing and helping people understand and resolve their tax issues.
Reviewer:
Logan is a practicing CPA and founder of Choice Tax Relief and Money Done Right. After spending nearly a decade in the corporate world helping big businesses save money, he launched his blog with the goal of helping everyday Americans earn, save, and invest more money. Learn more about Logan.
